Regular readers will be aware that shortly after my Level 3 training I was “in the office” at the Harwich Haven Authority onboard the 210,000 ton container ship OOCL Indonesia (see Blog 58: My post-Level-3-training Day at the Office, published 16 April). On Tuesday of this week I was at it again but this time on something hundreds of times smaller, the Harwich Haven Authority’s own survey vessel, the Egret.
Accompanying the Harbourmaster, one of our legal advisors and two representatives from the Department for Transport, we passed some of the biggest deep water berths in 
the Authorities jurisdiction to visit possibly the smallest jetty right at the southern edges of our area, at Great Oakley, which included another of our areas of Special Scientific 
Interest. As the old adage goes, “there was lots of water, it was just very thinly spread!” and the visit was only possible on or around High Water. At Low water the berth, and much of the approach channel, dries out. It was a beautiful day with plenty of small craft around and even the seals took an interest in our visit.
Meanwhile, back in Portsmouth ….. on the same day and after an excellent Prep Week (more of that to follow) the Clipper Fleet slipped lines from Gosport to sail round to St Katherine’s Dock, London ahead of a whole series of events in the capital and race start on Sunday 1st September….. MUCH MORE to follow ……..
There are now 8 Days, 11 Hours, 42 Minutes and 10 Seconds until RACE START …….
Pretty Much All At Sea 
Excitingxxx
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